After two defeats in their opening two matches of the I-League, Aizawl FC are hoping to turn things around in their next match against newcomers Rajasthan United FC at Naihati Stadium near Kolkata on Tuesday.
But it will be a huge challenge for the former I-League champions. In their last match, only two of their foreigners took the field and it's still uncertain whether all four will be available for Tuesday's game. Speaking at the pre-match press conference regarding the availability of the foreigners, coach Yan Law said, "I cannot disclose this right now. We were having some issues and hopefully it will be sorted out by Tuesday."
"We don't have our full squad yet. We are struggling with injuries and some players are also in quarantine. So, it will take some time to settle down," added the coach.
Having lost to Real Kashmir 2-3 in the first game and then to Mohammedan SC 0-2 and currently in the last spot on the table with zero points, things have not been ideal for Law. However, there are some positives from the Mohammedan game that Aizawl will hopefully carry forward into their game against Rajasthan United.
"The boys gave their hearts out in that game. We kept the ball, stuck to the plan, and created chances but couldn't convert them. We gifted the two goals but it's looking better right now after we worked on it," Law said during the virtual meet.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan United will be playing their first game since the restart. In their league opener, they lost to RoundGlass Punjab FC 2-0 playing with only nine players and sit just above Aizawl on the table. They made some crucial signings during the break, including that of Pedro Manzi, who won the I-League with Chennai City FC in 2018-19 and top scored with 26 goals, and are expected to put up a fight in the tournament.
However, the biggest challenge for the northeast club, as the coach believes, will be playing an afternoon fixture when the temperature is at its highest.
